A. Field
The present invention concerns a device for transferring electronic components from an inclined supply track to another element like a packing element, a printed circuit board, a testing device or the like.
B. Related Technology
In particular, it concerns a device which can be used in tape-and-reel packaging machines for successively transferring single electronic components like semiconductors, IC's, and such, from an inclined gravity supply track to a packing tape that is provided with pockets to hold single components and which is stepwise moved forward and sealed off, as said electronic components are inserted one by one in said pockets, which packing tape is then wound on a reel.
Such tapes filled with electronic components are efficiently used for automated assembly of printed circuit boards or the like.
In traditional tape-and-reel devices, said electronic components are transferred from the inclined gravity supply track to the tape-and-reel mechanism, mainly by two types of pick-and-place devices.
A first type of known pick-and-place devices is formed by a single swing arm which is equipped with a vacuum nozzle that is pressed on the top of the electronic component to hold it. The electronic component is then lifted from the supply track and moved over a pocket in the tape, following which the component is pushed into the underlying pocket and is released.
A second type of known pick-and-place devices is more complex and is formed by a rotary turret which is equipped with a single vacuum nozzle to pick up the electronic components from the supply track and to move them to subsequent stations for inspection and transfer to a tape.
A disadvantage of these known pick-and-place devices is that the electronic components are subjected to impact forces that can damage the components, especially when new generation components, like for instance fragile thin shrink small components, have to be handled.
In these known pick-and-place devices the components are also exposed to lateral inertia forces that can cause the components to be misaligned on said vacuum nozzle, resulting in an incorrect positioning of the component over a pocket. When the misaligned component is next pushed into the pocket, the fragile leads are usually severely damaged and a useless component is sealed into the tape.
More recently, another kind of device has been introduced to transfer the electronic components from an inclined supply track to a tape. This known device is formed by a rotating disk that is conically shaped, so that at one side the disk is aligned to the supply track and that the opposing side of the disk is in a horizontal position. The electronic components slide from the supply track into radial slots in the edge of the disk and are rotated to the opposite side, where they are picked up by a rotating pick-and-place mechanism to transfer them to a tape.
A disadvantage of this more recently known type of device is that the leads of the electronic components are in physical contact with said rotating disk and are hence subject to be damaged. Another disadvantage is that an additional pick-and-place mechanism is, required that, moreover, can cause some damage to the components, concerned.
The invention aims to overcome the aforementioned and other disadvantages.